New Year's Weekend 2022-2023

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 30

Went to Sunnyside Tavern in the afternoon and met Kevin and Kelly at Johnny's Diner in Fox Lake for dinner before going to the Fox Lake American Legion for 50-50.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2022

Met Pam at the Windhill Pancake Parlor in McHenry, Illinois, and enjoyed the Christmas decorations.  They go overboard.  Later met Kevin and Kelly at the Fox Lake American Legion for the afternoon New Year's Eve Party with toasting at 4:30 pm.  That's my idea of "celebrating" the new year as it is hard to stay up past 11 pm for me anymore.  Enjoyed DJ Goldy, a real dj, not one of the new ones who do not interact with the crowd.

Watched the college playoffs at the Legion and at home in Margaritaville and was happy Texas Christian beat Michigan and especially happy about Georgia getting lucky and beating Ohio State.  (I went to UGA for a year, plus a whole lot of family went there.)

I actually managed to stay up to midnight.  Happy New Year!!

SUNDAY, JANUARY 1, 2023

I drove over to Squaw Bar in Ingleside to see the Bears play their game.  We used to get together with the "Usual Suspects" to watch the games here.  But, I hadn't been back there for years.  It was like old times, a fun place to watch the game with lots of fans.  Unfortunately, it was the 9th straight loss.

Then went over to Saylor Mick's, a new place in Spring Grove and had their $1 taco special and enjoyed the $1 pints of Hamm's.  This place used to be Tommy's and had huge crowds, especially during the Blackhawk games back 2010-2015.

--RoadNewYear

1970 Songs-- Part 4: Elton John's 'Your Song'

Continued from May 27.

ELTON JOHN    "YOUR SONG"

Elton John owes part of his breakthrough with "Your Song" to Three Dog Night.  The group's Danny Hutton, said:  "Elton  gave us this demo of it and we recorded it for our album 'It Ain't Easy' in 1970.  We thought about releasing it as a single, but in the end, we didn't."

Even Elton John's record company didn't initially intend "Your Song" as a single; they buried it on the B-side of "Take Me To the Pilot."  But when DJs flipped the single over and played the gorgeous ballad instead, it shot up into the Top Ten.

I listened to the Three Dog Night version on You Tube and I was not impressed.  However, I must say that I really did like Elton John's "Take Me To the Pilot."

--RoadDog

Good Times in the Neighborhood-- Part 2: Bars, A Steak Fry and A Band

SATURDAY, AUGUST 18

Still working on Frances' back 40 in the southeast corner of the yard.  maybe I'll get it finished.

We went to Sunnyside Tap in Johnsburg and then to the Spring grove Fireman's annual steak fry at Horse Fair Park.  For $20 you get a big steak, baked potato and piece of pie.  And, for a good cause.  They had one of the new DJs there, you know, the ones who just play music and make an occasional announcement.  No interaction with people at all.  For that you have to go to a karaoke person.  A DJ is supposed to interact with people.

We then stopped at the newly opened Spring Grove Pub & Pizza on US-12 and talked with the owner.  This used to be one of our favorite places called Tommy's and we are sure glad it has reopened.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 19

Brother Bob's 65th birthday.  Happy birthday Bob.

More work on Frances' back 40 (named for Liz's mom).  Then we went to Stucky's in Johnsburg and sat out on the deck and really had a great time with the Bart Alonzo Band which featured that greatest of country instruments, the steel guitar.

Another Fun Weekend.  --RoadDog

YOU'RE BECOMING A GEEK WHEN:  You think having twice as many computers as there are people in the house is a bare minimum.

WLS' Best-Selling #1 Records 1956-1965 By Year: "Mack the Knife"

From the June 3, 1966 WLS Silver Dollar Survey.

By year.

1956  DON'T BE CRUEL--  Elvis Presley
1957  TAMMY--  Debbie Reynolds
1958  VOLARE--  Domenico Mundugno

1959  MACK THE KNIFE--  Bobby Darrin
1960  THEME FROM A SUMMER PLACE--  Percy faith
1961  EXODUS--  Ferrante & Teicher
1962  TWIST--  Chubby Checker

1963  LIMBO ROCK--  Chubby Checker
1964  I WANT TO HOLD YOUR HAND-- Beatles
1965  SATISFACTION--  Rolling Stones

RON REILLY 7-9 P.M. Monday thru Friday
6:30- 9 P.M. Saturday, 6:30-8:30 P.M. Sunday

Hear DEX Card play all the Silver Dollar Survey hits daily from 2:00 to 6:00 P.M.

Not that they had those DJs Working a Lot.

Name That Tune:  "Oh the Shark, Babe, Has Such Teeth, Dear and It Shows Them Pearly White."  --RoadDog



)Mack the Knife"

Christmas in These Here Parts-- Part 1

DECEMBER 18, THUSDAY:  Christmas party at Sequoit Lodge in Antioch with  DJ.  Then we went to  Cuda's,  Captain's Quarters and Tommy's on the way back.

DECEMBER 19TH, FRIDAY: Making a batch of Irish Cream for Pam and decorating Margaritaville downstairs at home.

DECEMBER 20, SATURDAY:  Mitch Edwards performing at the American Legion and Tommy's.  The Legion party was also an Ugly Sweater one.  We backed the Cutler #6 jersey worn by one guy, but the winner was one which still had its Montgomery Ward's tag on it bought back in 1980 by a fellow's late mother.  A real Bill Cosby kind of sweater.

DECEMBER 22, SUNDAY:  Bears Rockin' Tailgate Party and Squaw Bar in Ingleside with the Usual Suspects for usual sad Bears effort, but at least we had a new quarterback to replace the even sadder Jay Cutler.  Played the Dirty Lions with all their really dirty players with a spearing and a stepping.

And It Isn't Even Christmas Yet.  --RoadDog


YOU THINK ENGLISH IS EASY?  It teachers taught, why don't preachers praught?\\

Deaths: Casey Kasem

CASEY KASEM (Died June 15, 2014)  American Top 40 program for nearly 40 years.

I listened to his show a whole lot back in the 80s and 90s when I was deejaying.  That way I got an idea what was hot and what was not.

Born Kemal Amin Kasen in Detroit and was an announcer for Armed Forces Radio during the Korean War.  Worked at a variety of radio stations on his return including KYA in San Francisco and KRLA in Los Angeles.  Also an actor in low-budget movies and the voice of Shaggy in "Scooby-Doo."

On July 4th weekend 1970, he and his associates, including Tom Rounds (who died June 1, 2014) launched AT40, the weekly countdown of Billboard's Top 40.  It was initially a three-hour show, but later expanded to the four hour show we all know.

It was originally carried on 7 stations and eventually 200.

And, then there was his famous signoff.

"Keep Your Feet On the Ground and Keep Reaching for the Stars."

Deaths: Wide-Awake Deejay

TOM ROUNDS, 77 (1936-June 1, 2014)

Radio executive and deejay, who in Hawaii in 1959, set a record for sleepliness while deejaying from a department store window for 260 hours.  A record that has since been broken by Randy Gardner who stayed awake for 264.4 hours in 1964.

I can'r help but remember when Dick Van Dyke did that on his TV show.

He was later a music video and rock festival pioneer and helped develop the American Top 40 Show with Casey Kasem  (who died June 14, 2014).

Deaths: Dave Diamond: Underground Radio Pioneer

DAVE DIAMOND, 77 (1936-May 5, 2014)

Born Sidney Ivan Davison, Jr..  DJ whose late 60s, early 70s programs popularized many psychedelic and rock bands.  Served Korean War.

His "Diamond Mine" show became one of the first "underground" rock shows in San Francisco in 1968.  One of the first deejays to play the Doors, Seeds, Love, Linda Ronstadt and Iron Butterfly.  Music publisher of Strawberry Alarm Clock's "Incense and Peppermints."

I get these rock deaths from the Oldies News site.  Where you want to go for all information on the oldies artists.

Deaths: Talk Radio Format-- Drummer-- DJ

BEN HOBERMAN, 92:  Died may 3, 2014.  Radio executive KABC, ABC Radio.  Pioneered the Talk Radio format.  I'm not much of a talk radio guy, even talk sports radio.

BOBBY GREGG (1936-May 3, 2014)  Drummer, record producer.  Drummer on Bob Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone" and Simon & Garfunkel's "Sounds of Silence."

MURRAY SAUL, 86:  WMMS radio icon in Cleveland  The Get Down Man, noted for his rants against radio.  Got into RnR after the Beatles appeared on Ed Sullivan even though he was already in his 40s.

Just Some Stuff-- JSS

JSS--  Just Some Stuff

1. Still waiting for some above-freezing days to get the snow/ice off the driveway and sidewalk. We've only had one day above freezing since Dec. 1st. Yesterday, I went out and chopped holes in the ice as well as the 9 inches of snow/ice pack at the foot of the driveway. I'm hoping that will help do some melting as it is supposed to get over freezing the next four or five days.

2. Sunday, Liz and I went to Twin Lakes to have some of those great $3 Bloody Mary meals at Main Street, and play NTN at Donovan's. We had four top tens in the course of the afternoon. Alfons, Tomas, and George played with us. Watched the Packers defeat the St. Louis Rams (still should be Los Angeles Rams to me) in a close game until the second half. Brett Favre keeps rolling on and set the NFL career mark with most yards passing. Too bad DaBears don't have him. Green Bay, my second favorite NFL team, is now 12-2 (with one of those losses coming from my favorite NFL team, DaBears!!!).

3. Speaking of the DaBears, this has been quite a come-down this year after going to the Super Bowl last season. Watched them play Monday Night Football last night at Margaritaville, our basement bar here at Key North. They played well in the first half, but definitely have to find a qb for next season. The three we have now are not the answer.

The Bears loss drops the record to 5-9. Believe it or not, they were still mathematically in the running for the playoffs until last night. There is no way this team deserved to go.

4. Going over to see Frances at Alden Terrace Nursing Home in McHenry. Later today, I'll stop by Round Lake Middle School to congratulate Hollis on 30 years of coaching 8th grade girls basketball. This is his last home game.

Then I will stop by the White Castle in Ivanhoe and have some sliders before deejaying at Santa Maria School in Mundelein. I have been deejaying there since about 1984, now, that's a long time to be doing something.

5. While getting the stream for 94.9 FM the Surf out of Myrtle Beach, SC, earlier this morning, I saw that the temperature was 27 degrees, the same as here in Spring Grove, Illinois. After all of Billy Smith's bragging about the 80s they had last week, I had to e-mail him and let him know. He announced it on-air and called me a loyal listener as I have been e-mailing several times a week the past several weeks. He is one of my favorite deejays.

Keeping On Keeping On Down Da Road. --Cooter

Listening to the Surf for the Last Time?

Well, perhaps the last time.

If the government has its way, the days of live broadcasts over the internet might just come to an end on the 15th of this month. The rates they are demanding will put these small guys out of business.

The last time they did this several years ago, The Surf went to a pay arrangement, and I lost my Billy Smith for a long time until I saw that they had gone back to free listening.

This will also affect Live 365, and other great outlets like Fessa John Hook's Endless Summer station.

I sure would miss my Beach Music. There is No station here in Chicagoland where I can get a dose of what I need.

Don't Let 'Em Take my Music Away!! --RoadDog

The Old BS'er and Beach Music

A&E did not have "24" on today at 7 AM our time, Central, so I went on the internet. I'm sitting right here at the old 'put, typing away with my two little fingers, and listening to Billy Smith coming at me live on the Surf from Myrtle Beach, SC. I love it when he plays the phone pranks; can't help but chuckle.

He also played a great one I haven't heard in a long time with his 50s pick, "Over the Mountain" by Johnny and Joe.

Aw, it's 8:50 and he's going off the air with his usual "I'm Going, But I'll Be Back" song. I'll just have to listen to Ted Bell now.

The Surf is "The Sound of the Beach" on the Grand strand and the World.

I voted on the Beach Music Top Forty Survey already. Ray Scott plays this countdown every Saturday from 9AM to noon. Top songs for this week are #1 :I Don't Want No Man" by Sea Cruz, and #2 "Emperor of My Baby's Heart" by Paul Craver.

A little bit about Billy Smith:

Billy was born in Marion, SC. As a child, his mother would take the five kids to Myrtle Beach on Sundays after church where he would go to the Pavillion (torn down this last fall) and boardwalk where the sounds emanating from the jukeboxes in the various bars enthralled them with their rhythm & blues records.

He began a regular at the local Marion record store and spent every dime he could get his hands on for R & B and Doo Wop songs, both of which are considered the forerunners of today's Beach Music. More to Come

My dad sure knew someone who also would spend all his money on records, which he largely considered as a waste of money. I wonder who that could be? Any guesses?

I also knew of one certain brother who pretty-well messed up his brother's Beatles collection while that brother was away at college. Now, who could that be? These records were left at home for safety. Didn't quite work out.

Doing the "Street Corner Serenade" by the Embers. --RoadDog